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I deflected my attention away first. The guilt was eating me up inside. I couldn’t stop thinking about Ben and what it would do to him knowing Julian was his dad. I couldn’t stop dreading what would happen when Julian found out about Benjamin, but that was inevitable.
When I lifted my eyes, his gaze was no longer on mine, and I hated to say it, but I liked the brief relief it gave me. There was a solemn silence while the casket was lowered into the ground. Tears fell from my eyes as I said goodbye to my third parent.
I’d known Luke since I was little, or well, since Julian and I had become a thing. It’s true, Luke wasn’t exactly my parent, but he was pretty damn close, and he was my little boy's grandpa. Now I wondered what I would say to Benjamin when he asked to go see Grandpa Luke this next time.
My heart splintered at the thought of it. And then it broke thinking about how I was going to explain to Ben that Julian was his dad. He’d asked multiple times over the years who his dad was and why he wasn’t here with us. Luckily, I was able to distract him with something else most of the time.What do you tell a little boy when his father doesn’t know he exists?
I needed to figure out howandif I was even going to tell Julian about Ben. The thought of talking to him again caused my chest to tighten, so I decided that was a decision for another day. Not today. I had time to figure it all out. It would take time to adjust things at the shop so he could go back to his life. I sighed…whydo things have to be so hard?
ChapterThree
As soon as I hit the outer limits of Silverbell Shore, memories swept through my brain as if they were running on a picture carousel. I haven’t been back in six years. I couldn’t come back. Seeing her physically hurt, like, deep down to my bones. She was my one and only. No woman in the last six years even held half a candle to her. Annagayle Rafferty had pushed me away and told me that I needed to follow my dreams, and I had, but now I was back. I wasn’t sure what would happen next, with the shop or Anna.
It’d been just Pops and I for a few years now, so there was no one else to take over the shop, and I didn’t want to hire someone. This was his legacy, and I intended to make sure it lived on even though he didn’t. I was also back to claim my girl. We had unfinished business to attend to. Whatever it took at the end, we’d be together.
Seeing her today took my breath away. Annagayle had matured over the years. The sweet, beautiful girl had turned into a drop dead stunner. Porcelain skin stretched over high cheekbones and dainty features like that little button nose I used to kiss. She’d gained curves over the last few years and added caramel highlights to her dark hair. It was also a little longer, but still just as wavy. Looking at her made me remember how I used to hold her hair when I… I shook my head.No, I can’t think about that right now. I can’t have a boner at my father’s funeral. It’s just fucking wrong.
She still has the same kind, dark hazel eyes, and I bet she still has a blush that paints her face a pretty shade of rose each time she gets embarrassed like she used to. It’s been way too long. Maybe I should’ve come home sooner. A sliver of guilt coils and tightens in my gut.
I wonder what she’s doing now?Did she finish college and become a nurse like she’d always wanted to be? She would’ve been great at it.
The thought made my heart thump faster, but I wasn’t sure which of my thoughts in the last five minutes was specifically affecting me this way.
The burial ended, and I wanted to chase after her, but there was so much that I had to do around here before I could fully devote my time to winning her back. I wanted a private moment with him after everyone left. One last goodbye to the man who gave me a good life, who held my hand and played Hot Wheels with me when I was little. To the man who showed me what it meant to be a man; a respected and loyal man. I guess it was best to get Pops affairs finalized first so I could focus. Once I’d worked out what happened next, she would be my focal point.
I watched her walk away with her parents. Her delicious ass swayed back and forth with each step, and I remembered the way it fit so beautifully in my grip. The dress she wore did nothing to stop my memory.
Her parents had definitely aged over the last six years. It was good to see them.
Even though today was a sad day, I was glad she’d come out and shown support even though we hadn’t seen each other in years. I was grateful she’d been there for Pops in the end. It’d be something I could never thank her for enough.
* * *
“Afternoon,Julian. Good to see ya back in town, just wish it was under better circumstances.” Pop’s lawyer said as he stuck out his hand.
I returned the gesture. “Good to see you, too, Mason.”
Stepping back, he waved to the chair in front of his desk. “Shall we?”
I nodded and took my seat. My heart thumped in my chest like I was preparing for defense. I wasn’t sure why because I was his only living relative, but there was still something there. Call it a weird gut feeling. I shifted in my seat and looked over the desk at Mason.
“Are you ready?” He said to me, and I nodded again. He cleared his throat and picked up the paper that’d been lying on his desk. “We are here today to read the last will and testament of Luke “Lucky” McCormick. Let’s begin”
A pang of sadness flooded my veins. I still couldn’t believe he was gone, even though I knew it’d been coming for a few months now.
“I give and bequeath to Julian Ace McCormick, should he survive me, all funds in my savings account, #429-977A at Silverbell First Savings Bank, my estate, and auto body shop, except as noted below.” He paused and glanced at me warily before reading the next portion. It immediately gave me the feeling that something was very wrong. “I leave the sum of $10,000 in the care of Annagayle Rafferty until such a time that Benjamin Rafferty is of age for college, it being my wish that such sum should be used for the education of Benjamin Rafferty.”
My heart went full stop, and my breath hitched in my throat.What the ever living fuck?My brain raced as I tried to place why my father would leave money to a child of Annagayle’s… unless… no.There’s no way.Maybe it’s not mine. I know her and Pops were close these last few years. He’d liked her growing up. He thought she was good news for me, and it seemed as though these last couple of years she was all he could seem to talk about. I could never figure out why.
It finally hit me. For who knows how long, my father knew that Annagayle had a child and never told me. Anger burned through my core before another thought crossed my mind. It couldn’t possibly be mine? Could it? He wouldn’t hide something like that from me, right?
Mason cleared his throat, garnering my attention again. “Shall I continue?” I swallowed hard and nodded. I needed to figure out what the hell happened. “I hereby nominate, constitute, and appoint my dear boy, Julian Ace McCorrmick, to act as the Executor of this, my Last Will and Testament. In the event that Julian Ace McCormick shall predecease me or chooses not to act for any reason, I nominate and appoint Annagayle Rafferty to act in his place.”
My mind swam back to Annagayle.Was the father of this boy in the picture?I didn’t see him at the funeral today, if so. Which leaves me with another thought: is he a deadbeat dad? My hands balled into fists thinking about anyone doing that tomyAnna. Then again, she hadn't been mine for six years now. She could’ve moved on.
I needed to figure out what was going on. “Mason, do you have Annagayle’s address so that I can tell her the good news about Ben?” His name sounded weird coming out of my mouth. He looked hesitant briefly before he simply nodded and handed me a piece of paper.
I thanked him and then stood up to leave. Ihadto know.
